Preventing caries and cavities and improving the delivery of minerals necessary to healthy teeth, while preserving and/or enhancing cosmetic features, are important goals in oral health care. While preventive products can be extremely effective, sometimes the action of these products cannot keep up with consumer/patient habits (e g. diet, hygiene, salivary flow, saliva constituents, etc). In this regard, the chewing or dissolution of sugar free products, such as gums, lozenges, and mints, after or in between eating events may be recommended since studies show the ensuing saliva stimulation can effectively remineralize teeth. Although the stimulated saliva is effective, there are opportunities to further improve efficacy by delivering calcium and phosphate to the dentition. Unfortunately, conventional calcium phosphate materials technologies are only marginally effective in providing useful minerals to teeth.
Clearly then, there is a need for mineral delivery compounds that can help boost remineralization efficacy, while whitening enamel, through confectionery and foodstuff formats, such as a mint, gum, or lozenge. The present novel technology discussed herein addresses this need.
Thus, there remains a need for a process for more efficiently producing functionalized materials that may compliment new and/or existing confectionery and foodstuff formulations, such as mints, gums, lozenges, and the like, to provide therapeutic and cosmetic dental benefits. The present novel technology addresses these needs.